SPRINGDALE -- It was a game Northwest Arkansas should have won Tuesday night, but didn't finish the job.
Tulsa sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the ninth inning and the Drillers scored six times for a come-from-behind 8-4 victory over the Naturals at Arvest Ballpark.
Tulsa 8, Northwest Arkansas 4
Tulsa^000^000^206^—^8^8^0
NW Arkansas^001^000^200^—^4^12^2
Capuano, Arrowood (5), Roberts (7), N. Gonzalez (9) and J. Gonzalez. Sulbaran, Culver (7), Selman (8), Triggs (9) and Morin. W - Roberts, 6-2. L - Triggs, 4-2. Sv - None. HRs - None.
At A Glance
Texas League Standings
North Division
Team^W-L^GB
Arkansas^13-12^0.5
Northwest Arkansas^12-13^1
Tulsa^11-14^2
Springfield^9-16^4
Tuesday’s Scores
Tulsa 8, Northwest Arkansas 4
Arkansas 6-3, Springfield 2-0
Today’s Games
Tulsa at Northwest Arkansas, 7:05 p.m.
Springfield at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
"It's not the first time it's happened to a team and won't be the last," Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson said. "The key is how you respond and fix it. We got a little sloppy in the ninth, and we've talked to our guys about fundamental baseball.
"Sometimes it takes a loss like that to sink in and say 'if you don't do fundamentals right, losses are going to sneak up on you.' We'll learn from it."
Tulsa (11-14) started the ninth when Taylor Featherston struck out but took first on a wild pitch, the second time it happened to a Driller batter in the game, then Trevor Story followed with an infield single. Tyler Massey followed with a potential double-play grounder, but Angel Franco misplayed it and allowed Featherston to score.
One batter later, Chris O'Dowd belted a single off Andrew Triggs (4-2) to tie the game at 4, then Jose Gonzalez put the Drillers ahead to stay with his two-run single one out later. Christhian added another RBI single before a second Naturals error accounted for the final run to cross the plate.
"The guy didn't break down to catch it," Wilson said on Franco's error. "He tried to run through, which we tell him not to do it. We worked on it earlier and he'll be told about it. The hard work we put in and the reason we say the things we say are for when you can respond in a baseball game."
Short Hops
• Parker Morin snapped a 2-2 tie and put the Naturals in front when he ripped a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh off Tulsa reliever Ken Roberts, who intentionally walked Justin Trapp, a right-handed hitter, in order to face the lefty Morin.
• Naturals starter J.C. Sulbaran allowed just one run and three hits over six-plus innings in the no-decision. The right-hander made his sixth straight outing of six or more innings, dating back to June 11.
• Former major leaguer Chris Capauno, who made stints with five teams, drew the start for Tulsa and threw 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander was making his second minor-league start since signing with the parent Colorado Rockies earlier this month.
Extra Bases: The Naturals laid down five bunts, including two by Ethan Chapman for a single and a run-scoring sacrifice. ... The Drillers had their leadoff batters draw walks in four straight innings. ... The loss, coupled with Arkansas' doubleheader sweep of Springfield, dropped the Naturals (12-13) out of first place in the North Division standings, one game behind
Royals Pipeline: Former Naturals Paulo Orlando and Spencer Patton will represent Omaha during the Triple-A All-Star Game tonight in Durham, N.C. Orlando, who played at Northwest Arkansas from 2010-12, is hitting .314 with five home runs and 40 RBIs for the Storm Chasers, while Patton, who was with the Naturals last year, has a 4-3 record and 14 saves in 34 appearances.
On Deck: The Naturals and Drillers will conclude their four-game series with a 7:05 p.m. game today. Right-hander Jason Adam (4-8, 5.14 ERA), who was named Texas League pitcher of the week, will start for Northwest Arkansas, while Tulsa counters with right-hander Jon Gray (8-4, 3.77).
Today's Promotion: It's #winningwednesday, and tickets from today's game will be good for a free reserved seat for the July 23 game against Arkansas if the Naturals win. Those who have tickets stubs to the July 2 game can get a free reserved ticket for today's game.
On The Air: KQSM-FM 92.1
On The Web: www.nwanaturals.com
Sports on 07/16/2014